LASIK Facts

There are a lot of things to check when visiting a LASIK clinic in order to make sure that your operation stays safe and successful. You may want to visit a few web sites or ask for referrals first to limit your choice only among the top and trusted ones. Finding the right place and person can make or break your eyesight so it is vital that you do a little research about risks first.

Precautions in Lasik Clinics

Primarily, you need to visit a Lasik clinic to determine whether or not you are eligible for the operation. There are a number of requirements and tests that you need to have and pass. It is never a good option to cheat or lie about your past eye history and underlying ailments since these could adversely alter the results. Ask about the procedure and find out about the associated risks.

You should be ready for the risks involved such as worse eyesight, blurred vision, etc. Not all patients end up having 20/20 visions and an unsuccessful refractive surgery could end your career. Ask the clinic for an estimate regarding the price and maintenance costs.

A number of patients are cautioned not to proceed with Lasik surgery due to disqualifying factors. Those who were required to alter their eye glasses or contact lens prescription during the past year may still have unstable eyesight wherein the post-operation results of the operation can still change later on in life.

The same goes for patients under 21 years of age since eyesight is known to stabilize only during adulthood. Patients with fluctuating hormones may also experience pressure changes inside the eye such as in the case of those with diabetes mellitus, pregnant and breastfeeding women, individuals taking drugs like steroids, autoimmune disorders and immunodeficiency conditions.

More Checks and the New Technique

You may be screened in the Lasik clinic for presence of conditions like herpes, glaucoma, eye diseases, dry eyes, eye injuries or surgeries and keratoconus. Some types of jobs also have increased risk for eye injury such as professional athletes. Young patients and those taking medications may have dilated pupils even in dim rooms. Glares, halos, ghost images, double visions and starbursts can result after surgery.

Some individuals have increased risk due to the structural design of their eyes such as having thin corneas. It becomes harder for surgeons to reshape the cornea and remove certain tissues if it is too thin and can lead to drastic complications like blindness. For patients who have already undergone refractive surgery in the past such as PRK and RK, they may no longer be candidates for Lasik clinics since the condition can be aggravated. They should undergo eye exams and assessment first before being approved.

There is a new procedure available in Lasik clinics known as Monovision which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration or FDA. Also called, Advanced Custom Vue Monovision, it allows individuals to see certain distances in each eye which means that one eye is able to see close images while the other is able to see distant images. This is a highly unique approach that is still considered by many patients as effective. They still however, need to practice and adjust to the visual changes at first to experience the benefits of better vision.